Houston Astros Oxy Patch: All about World Series champions unpopular sleeve sponsor

In February of 2022, the Houston Astros announced a new sponsorship deal with Occidental Petroleum, a multinational oil and gas exploration company, to feature their logo on the sleeve of the Astros' uniforms. The new deal comes after Major League Baseball (MLB) announced new rules that would allow teams to display advertisements on their uniforms, a practice that has become increasingly common in professional sports.

The Houston Astros were one of the first teams to take advantage of this new rule. Occidental Petroleum, also known as Oxy, is a multinational oil and gas exploration and production company based in Houston, Texas. The company was founded in 1920 and has since grown to become one of the largest oil and gas companies in the world.

The Astros' decision to partner with Occidental Petroleum sparked controversy among fans and critics alike. The company has been criticized for its environmental record, particularly its involvement in hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking," a controversial method of extracting natural gas from shale rock formations. Some fans took issue with the fact that the Astros had chosen to partner with a company that they saw as environmentally destructive, while others saw the move as a betrayal of the team's history and values.

Despite the backlash, the Astros defended their decision to partner with Occidental Petroleum. The controversy surrounding the Astros' sponsorship deal with Occidental Petroleum also highlighted broader concerns about the role of advertising in professional sports.

Some critics argued that the proliferation of advertising on uniforms and in other parts of sports stadiums was detracting from the purity of the game and turning athletes into walking billboards. Others pointed out that advertising revenue is an important source of income for professional sports teams, which often rely on sponsorship and advertising deals to stay financially viable.

Jersey advertisements likely to grow in the MLB despite the backlash faced by the Houston Astros

Despite the controversy, it seems likely that the practice of featuring advertisements in MLB uniforms will only become more common in the years to come. As professional sports teams continue to look for new revenue streams, and as more and more companies seek to associate themselves with successful teams and athletes, the lines between sports and commerce are likely to become increasingly blurred. Whether or not fans will continue to support teams that partner with companies they dislike remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: the debate over the Houston Astros' controversial sleeve sponsor is unlikely to die down anytime soon.